Bangladesh has moved to strengthen public sector capacity for the responsible use of artificial intelligence, as Unesco and the Government of Bangladesh launched a specialised training programme for civil servants in Dhaka on Monday.
The training, being held on 15, 16 and 18 June, 2026, at Lakeshore Hotel, brings together senior government officials, public procurement professionals and ICT focal points from different ministries.
The programme aims to build practical understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, ethical safeguards and governance frameworks.
The initiative comes as governments around the world increasingly explore the use of AI in public administration, service delivery and decision-making.
In Bangladesh, Unesco's Readiness Assessment Methodology process identified capacity development among policymakers and public officials as a key requirement for safe and effective AI adoption.
"Artificial intelligence is no longer a future issue for governments. It is already influencing how public institutions design services, make decisions and engage with citizens. Building AI literacy among civil servants is therefore essential to ensuring that AI is adopted in ways that are ethical, transparent and aligned with the public interest," said Khalid Bin Masud, Head of Sciences at Unesco Dhaka.
"Through this programme, Unesco is supporting Bangladesh to strengthen the institutional capacities needed for responsible AI governance," he said.
The training is also supporting public institutions that are exploring practical applications of AI in their day-to-day operations and service delivery.
"This AI Literacy and Ethics Training is both timely and relevant as we advance our digital transformation journey. We are actively integrating AI into our programmes, with many of our processes already digitalised. We are now looking towards the next step, which is leveraging AI to enhance the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) System and improve public service delivery," said SM Moin Uddin Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer (Secretary) of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA).
Through the training, participants will strengthen their understanding of AI systems, explore opportunities for using AI in public services, examine ethical and governance challenges, and learn practical approaches for responsible use of AI in government institutions.
The training is being delivered through Unesco's AI Ethics Experts Without Borders network.